Bend police were searching late Wednesday for an individual who reportedly stabbed two people at the Safeway on 27th Street in east Bend.

Capt. Jim Porter said the suspect, whom police had apparently identified, entered the store just before 8 p.m., assaulted the two victims and menaced a third with a long gun of some sort. The victims were not identified, but Porter said they were both taken to St. Charles Bend.

Little information was available late Wednesday.

Theres multiple places he could be. Were pinging his cell phone to see if we can figure out where he is, Porter said.

Safeway employee T.J. Cameron was in the back area of the deli at the time of the attack.

We heard screaming, I thought it might have been a kid crying at first, but I came out, asked someone what had happened, and then I saw the ambulance lights outside, Cameron said.

Cameron said the victims were both employees of the store.

Police kept a handful of shoppers and employees inside the store until around 9 p.m. A chaplain was brought to the scene.

We bring him in oftentimes to console people who have seen a traumatic incident, witnesses mostly, said Officer Rob DeWitt. We use him all the time.

Christian Fox was working his first day as manager of The Forum Shopping Center, where the Safeway is located. Between an earlier traffic accident at the shopping center and the knife assault, he said it had been an eventful first day on the job.